Method for conserving a meal prepared by heating, and for providing communal catering

Abstract

A method for the provision and conservation of communal meals is provided, in which a plurality of foodstuff and meal components are brought into packaging units and sealed therein following the preparation of said food by heating at a temperature of at least 75° C. A water bath at a temperature of less than 3° C. is used to cool the sealed packaging units in order to bring the meal component from a core temperature of 65° C. or higher to a core temperature of 3° C. or lower within no more than 90 min. Methods for regenerating the cooled packaging units for consumption are also provided, in a water bath having a temperature of 80°-90° C.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for preserving a hot prepared food component comprising the following steps
 hot preparation of a quantity of the food component for a plurality of consumption portions,   filling of the hot-prepared food component at a temperature of at least 75° C. into a plurality of packaging units and subsequent sealing of the packaging units,   cooling the packaging units from a core temperature of at least 65° C. to a core temperature of less than 3° C. within 90 min or less,   
       characterized in that 
       the cooling of the packaging units takes place in a water bath, the temperature of which is 3° C. or less. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1   
       characterized in that 
       at least two or more food components of a food menu are prepared, filled, and cooled. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1   
       characterized in that 
       the hot preparation comprises heating the food component to the point of cooking. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1   
       characterized in that 
       the amount of a prepared food component comprises a weight of more than 5 kg. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1   
       characterized in that 
       the packaging units have a capacity of between 200 ml and 10 liters. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1   
       characterized in that 
       the water bath for cooling the packaging units is equipped with one or more immersion baskets with compartments for the packaging units and a circulating cooler is connected to the water bath to ensure a temperature of 3° C. or less during cooling. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1   
       characterized in that 
       the filling is carried out with the aid of an automatic thermoforming machine which carries
 embossing of packaging units in tray form, 
 filling of the food components at a temperature of at least 75° C. into the packaging units, 
 steam rinsing of the packaging units with steam of a temperature of 100° C. or more, 
 sealing of the packaging units. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1  additionally comprising
 storage of the packaging units at a core temperature of 8° C. or less, 
 reheating the packaging units, from a core temperature of less than 8° C., to a core temperature of more than 65° C. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8   
       characterized in that 
       the heating of the packaging units takes place in a period of 35 min to 55 min. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9  characterized in that a device is used for heating the packaging units, comprising
 a housing, 
 a water tank for holding water and a lid for closing the water tank ( 7 ), 
 an immersion basket with compartments for packaging units of refrigerated preserved food components to be placed in the water tank, 
 at least one electric heating element for heating the water, 
 a pump for circulating the water, 
 a control unit, 
 
       wherein the control unit is configured to regulate the power supply to the electric heating element during a reheating process such that the water temperature is maintained at a reheating temperature of 80°-90° C. for a predetermined reheating time. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10   
       characterized in that 
       the reheating temperature for the device ( 1 ) is fixed and the device ( 1 ) does not provide for a possibility of changing or selecting the reheating temperature by a user. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10   
       characterized in that 
       the device comprises a thermostat for a fixed setting of the reheating temperature, with a fixed temperature from a range between 80° C. and 90° C. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10   
       characterized in that 
       the device comprises a temperature sensor for monitoring the water temperature. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 10   
       characterized in that 
       the reheating time is 35 min to 55 min and/or is fixedly set by means of a time relay. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10   
       characterized in that 
       the compartments of the immersion basket are grid compartments and the immersion basket comprises between 2 and 10. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 10   
       characterized in that 
       the water tank exhibits a width of 30 to 40 cm, a depth of 20 to 30 cm and a height of 45 to 60 cm. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 10   
       characterized in that 
       the device comprises two heating elements, which are enclosed in cladding tubes and are present in the lower fifth of the water tank above the bottom of the water tank in a horizontally aligned manner, one or more storage rails being installed above the two heating elements for receiving the immersion basket. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 10   
       characterized in that 
       the water tank comprises an outlet opening in the bottom and comprises an inlet opening in an upper third, which are connected to one another via a water line and the pump, the pump being configured to draw the water out of the outlet opening in the bottom of the water tank and feed it into the inlet opening in the upper third of the water tank. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 10   
       characterized in that 
       the water tank has an outlet opening in the bottom and the housing has a discharge opening, which are connected to one another via a water line and the pump or can be connected in a valve position, the pump being configured to draw the water out of the outlet opening in the bottom of the water tank and to discharge the water via the discharge opening. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 10   
       characterized in that 
       the device comprises locking means for the lid ( 3 ) and the control unit ( 19 ) is configured to lock the lid ( 3 ) during the reheating process for the predetermined reheating time.